The Department of Science and Technology and its attached agency, the National Academy of Science and Technology, recognized on Friday engineering sciences and technology students from various schools for the 2023 Magsaysay Future Engineers/Technologists award at the Century Park Hotel, Manila.

For this year's MFET award, ten papers were nominated. The first stage of the selection process was composed of two criteria: the person and the output, NAST vice president Alvin Culaba said.

In the first stage, they considered the student's credentials (20%); and then focused on their research's methodology, quality of innovativeness and write-up, and contribution to science and technology knowledge in Philippine business and industry (80%). Five papers made it to the final stage.

Before the awarding ceremony, each student carried out their ten-minute paper presentation and then proceeded with the open forum with the board of judges consisting of academicians from NAST.

"The MFET encourages young engineering students to pursue a career in science and technology—to promote the culture of diverse fields of science, appreciate the application of science in the lives of the people, and explore creative opportunities.

[I] encourage young engineers and technologists to conduct more aggressive and forward-looking [r]esearches and to critically adapt to fast-paced technologies and changes in science and technology," NAST president Jaime Montoya said.

The third-place winner from the UP Visayas was awarded ₱30,000, ₱50,000 for the second-place winner from De La Salle University, and ₱100,000 for the first-place winner from the UP Visayas. Two other participants received special citations and received ₱10,000 each. All finalists received a plaque of recognition.

"We hope [that] with this award, we were able to motivate students to recognize all of these future scientists from the young generation. Ang gagaling nila. I'm very confident and secure with the future of science in the Philippines in the young people that we have now," said Montoya in a chance interview with the Daily Tribune.

"I always say that the future of science [is] the young people, [b]ecause we members of the Academy [h]ave already done what we are supposed to do—what the country expects from us. The future is now with them," he added.